


By the Cracks of the Skin I Climbed

by tinydancer



Category: Shameless (US)
Genre: Gap Filler, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-04-23
Updated: 2014-04-23
Packaged: 2018-01-20 11:46:57
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,323
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1509353
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tinydancer/pseuds/tinydancer
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Mickey builds a love like people build homes.</p>
            </blockquote>





	By the Cracks of the Skin I Climbed

Mickey watches as the kid with fluffy red hair and skinny freckled arms steps up. He holds the bat with a lot of confidence; Mickey thinks maybe this kid knows what he’s doing.

_Gallagher_. Mickey’s heard the name before. He’s heard his brothers go on about how much they wanna bang that Gallagher girl who lives a few blocks down. He’s in the same grade as another Gallagher, the idiot one who can’t keep his mouth shut whenever he wants to prove a teacher wrong.

Now he knows this Gallagher, the one who hits a home run and wins the first game of the season for their team.

Mickey gets kicked off the team about three games later. He never talked to the red haired kid. He watched two more games afterwards, but only to make sure they were still losing.

*

There’s a party at the Gallagher house. The whole neighbourhood is invited, something about Frank surviving some near-death experience and needing to celebrate the traditional way: booze, booze and more booze.

Mickey tags along behind Iggy and Tony, and looks forward to whatever alcohol he can get his hands on. And the food too, since his mom’s passed out on the couch a little too often to properly cook.

The house is blaring with music, people are laughing. The night air tastes like smoke and summer. Someone started a bonfire in the backyard, so his brothers go straight there, but Mickey wanders around until he reaches the kitchen.

He looks at the refrigerator. There’s a calendar with dates circled and colourful post-it notes with scribbled reminders: dentist’s appointments, school interviews, tax invoice due dates, science project due dates.

Mickey ignores the pang in his chest and finds a decent-looking sandwich. He bites into it and tastes salami and cheese.

“What are you doing?”

Mickey turns around, still chewing on the sandwich, and sees Ian Gallagher. He’s taller, his hair is longer.

“The fuck does it look like?” Mickey replies, knowing he has a mouth full of food.

Gallagher doesn’t seem to mind though; he crosses his arms and puts his chin up. “Looks like you’re eating my sandwich.”

Mickey smirks and finishes the last bite. “Salami’s my favourite.”

Not exactly true, but he enjoys the riled-up look on Gallagher’s face all the same. He shoves past him and heads outside to join his brothers.

The rest of the night Mickey jolts a little every time he sees a flash of red hair. He sees Ian wrestling around with his older brother, he sees Ian take a long drag from a pipe and then getting hit over the head by his older sister. He sees Ian smile across the lawn to a kid called Roger Spikey who’s two grades above Mickey. He sees Ian disappear, and then not two minutes later, Spikey going after him.

Mickey and Iggy end up dragging their half-conscious brother back home. Mickey promises himself that he’ll never think about Ian Gallagher ever again.

*

Mandy runs home crying and Mickey sees red. He can’t fucking believe this Gallagher kid, just who the fuck does he think he is, fucking with a Milkovich?

He slams his shoulder against the back door of the Kash n Grab until it hurts. He stands guard outside the Gallagher house until it’s dark and too cold.

He feels something boiling inside him, something ready to spill over the brim and fucking _burn_.

But then he hears voices somewhere outside his room, Mandy yelling “ _get away from me!_ ”, Mickey is half way towards the front door, when he hears Ian Gallagher’s voice. “I’m gay!” he practically fucking shouts.

And Mickey pauses. His heart is beating out of his chest, because what the _fuck_.

Mickey finds himself wondering at Ian Gallagher’s courage.

*

He ends up at the Kash n Grab more and more often, mostly because the owner’s too much of a pussy to put up a fight whenever Mickey feels like using the five-finger discount.

But it’s also because of Ian fucking Gallagher. Mickey doesn’t like thinking about it, but it’s true. He wants to see how well this guy can suck a dick, he wants to see if little red-haired, freckled Gallagher knows how use his cock the right way. He wants to see if Gallagher has the balls to stand up to him.

Mickey wants, wants, wants.

*

Mickey’s breathing hard, he feels Gallagher run his hand through Mickey’s hair as he fucks him. Mickey doesn’t tell him to stop, even though he feels like he should. It’s their seventh time fucking, and Mickey can feel the boundaries being pushed every single time.

Mickey sweats and his knees scrape against the carpet on his floor as Gallagher slams into him, hitting the sweet spot with every thrust, from a million different angles. Mickey comes with a single, stretched-out groan and bites his lip to stop Gallagher’s name from slipping out of his mouth. He thinks this is maybe their best fuck yet, and damn, he’s had a few of _really_ good fucks with this kid.

When he’s done, Ian gives him a blissed-out smile that lights up his entire freckled-up face and Mickey wonders whether Gallagher will try and kiss him again.

He doesn’t though.

*

Mickey takes a beer out of the fridge. Ian’s distracted doing trigonometry and Mickey thinks that they could probably be using the time to fuck, but he doesn’t mind. Not really. He watches Ian look down at the textbook with a familiar little frown on his face.

A group of kids walk in, Mickey keeps a close eye on them and is fuckin’ grateful when none of them try stealing shit. He watches as they go up to the counter, where Ian’s too immersed into his work to even notice.

“Hey, Mister!” one kid yells and Mickey starts laughing when Ian practically jumps out of his seat.

Ian goes red in the face and flips Mickey off from across the room, telling him to fuck off.

“Careful, Gallagher. Kids around,” Mickey grins, even though it’s the southside and the kids have _definitely_ heard worse.

The kids leave and Mickey’s still smiling for some reason. He sees Gallagher’s eyes soften as he grins back all of sudden.

“I reckon we deserve a break,” he says.

Mickey thinks this is maybe the best summer he’s ever had.

*

Mickey tells Ian he missed him, but it doesn’t come out right. Nothing happens the way Mickey imagines. He _knew_ Gallagher wouldn’t be waiting for him like the last time Mickey was finally released from juvie, but like the stupid fucking idiot he is, he feels a little too hollow as he hops on the L. No one knew Mickey was getting out early, not even his sister. And besides, it’s not like he and Gallagher parted on happy fucking terms when they’d last seen each other.

Mickey didn’t expect to find Gallagher balls deep in some guy too stupid to shut the fuck up. Mickey didn’t expect to admit that he missed Gallagher, only to take it back.

Nothing happens the way Mickey imagines. But’s alright though, because as soon as Mickey sees Gallagher join him while they run from the cops, everything fits right into place.

They stop at an alleyway and catch their breaths. Ian looks at Mickey like he’s crazy but he’s grinning so wide it might even split his face. Mickey looks at Ian and feels something that might be happiness, he feels alive. He runs and runs and runs and feels fucking _free_.

A few days later, Mickey feels Ian Gallagher’s lips against his own. He flips Ian off and tries not to smile too wide. He thinks he might want this all the time, always.

*

Mickey doesn’t talk to anyone for days at a time. No one asks why he’s so fucking bruised, no one cares and that’s fine. Mickey likes it that way.

Ian Gallagher cares a little too much. The handgun trembles in his hands, Ian goes on about what fucking happened, how he wants to make sure Mickey’s _okay_.

Mickey isn’t.

*

Mickey reaches for Ian. His suit jacket feels too tight, but he kisses Ian with everything he’s got, with everything that’s been building up inside him and ready to burst.

This is the first time he’s willingly touched someone in what feels like years. Ian is amazing, he fucks Mickey like he’s on a mission. Mickey groans out “ _Gallagher_ ”.

Ian is everything.

About a week later, they’re in Mickey’s bedroom and Mickey feels the walls close in around him. He almost tells Ian to stay. He almost tells him, “Don’t leave.” Maybe even “Don’t leave _me_ ”, but Mickey can only imagine what would’ve happened. Because Ian leaves anyway.

For months, Mickey lies awake next to his Russian wife and wonders if Ian Gallagher’s okay. Or whether he’s alive, at least.

He jolts every time he thinks he sees a flash of red hair.

It’s exhausting. 

*

Mickey likes to imagine Ian Gallagher’s smile.

Except now, Ian looks different. Mickey can hardly see him in the darkness, but the flashing lights give away his eyeliner and the entirely blank expression Mickey had never pictured on _this_ face. His voice is hollow when he speaks, something inside Mickey breaks but he keeps pushing. “You need to call your family.”

Ian doesn’t look at him for a long time.

*

Mickey is so fucking happy, he feels like his heart is going to burst. He kisses Ian Gallagher again and again. He sleeps next to Ian’s bed feeling fucking _content_ for the first time in a long time. He eats pancakes with Ian, and catches his hand whenever they’re in Boystown. Mickey is fucking delighted because it makes him Ian’s and it makes Ian _his_.

He’s really fucking happy, he’s so so _happy_.

But something’s off-kilter in Ian’s smile. Sometimes he smiles too wide. Sometimes he goes out for five a.m jogs, even though he’s only running on three hours of sleep.

Sometimes Mickey thinks he might start trembling since he’s so fucking _worried_.

*

Ian wipes the blood off Mickey face with a damp towel, Mickey feels a little numb, a little exhausted. But he looks up at Ian’s face and Mickey knows that Ian is proud of him. He’s really, really sure because Ian keeps kissing him, even when Mickey laughs and says they should probably wash the blood off properly before they fuck.

Ian keeps mumbling that he’s proud, he says that he’s sorry and he says, “Sometimes I wonder at your courage, Mickey. You’re fucking amazing, _amazing_ ,” as he thrusts into Mickey, again and again.

Mickey closes his eyes and smiles. He lets his orgasm come over him and holds Ian close. He thinks their bones might crush because Ian is holding him just as tight.

*

Mickey’s eyes are finally dry, Ian rests his head on his shoulder as they sit in the waiting room.

There’s an old woman glaring at them, Mickey really couldn’t care less. He rubs soothing circles on Ian’s hand where it’s resting on Mickey’s lap. They finally call out Ian’s name and Ian doesn’t let go as they walk into the doctor’s office, hand-in-hand.

*

Ian’s wearing electric blue, his hat looks a little funny but Mickey tells him for the fifth time, “ _No_ , you look hot as always, for fucks sake.”

Ian shakes a lot of different hands, Mickey feels like he’s going to burst from pride, and joy and happiness. After the ceremony, Ian still wears his graduation cap. He hugs Mickey and whispers that he couldn’t have done this without him, and that he loves Mickey and that they should find a place to fuck pronto because those speeches about _the future_ made him horny. Mickey grins and playfully shoves Ian off him.

Ian goes around hugging everyone, Debbie, Carl, Liam, Fiona, Lip, Mandy. He even shakes Svetlana’s hand and Svetlana rolls her eyes and says something that may or may not be a teasing compliment in Russian.

They all go out for dinner afterwards. Mickey’s buying because he’s getting paid decent at his new job. _Assistant_ tattoo artist. Ian says Mickey should submit more of his sketches or whatever and they’ll definitely bump him up, but Mickey tells him to fuck off, it doesn’t work that way. But later in the night, when they’re tangled in each other’s limbs, Mickey whispers “Okay… _maybe_ I will.”

Ian smiles at him. He looks tired and happy.

*

The handle on their bedroom door falls off within the first week of moving in. Ian keeps complaining about it but never calls the landlord. Mickey puts it off for almost a month, his argument being “we’re the only ones who fuckin’ live here. We don’t even _shut_ the damn door half the time.”

Ian is stubborn. And Mickey admits that he’s lazy – except one day, he thinks _fuck it_ , and fixes it himself. Ian comes home after work and raises his eyebrows. He looks from Mickey to the toolbox sitting beside him.

“You’re fixing the handle,” Ian says, stating the fucking obvious.

Mickey doesn’t look up, “About fuckin’ time, huh?”

Ian nods and smiles. He heads for the fridge. “You eat dinner, yet?”

“Nope,” Mickey replies. He looks over his shoulder and sees Ian preparing sandwiches. He’s humming some annoyingly catchy top 40 tune under his breath, as he layers on the mayo and barbeque sauce.

“Ian,” Mickey says, too quietly at first. Ian goes about cutting the tomatoes and breaking out into cheesy lyrics. Mickey grins. He gets up and joins Ian in the kitchen. “Ian,” he says again, this time only inches away from Ian’s ear.

Ian pauses and turns around. He doesn’t seem surprised at all when Mickey leans up to kiss him. It feels familiar as Ian wraps his long arms around Mickey’s waist and kisses him back. It feels like home, it feels like it’s everything.

 


End file.
